


The Failsafe

by CloakedSparrow



Series: Collected Bat-Family Stories [8]
Category: Bat Family (DCU), Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Bat Brothers, Bat Family, Family Issues, Gen, Guns, No Romance, No Sex, Resurrected Jason Todd, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 04:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11119794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: (Or: Tim finally gets a hold of some Krytonite and Jason learns that his little brother might actually look up to him)





	The Failsafe

Batman has been carrying a piece of Kryptonite around for years and Tim has always wondered about what might be done with the rare mineral. Bruce had never discussed exactly what his plan of action entails, should he need it. When a small box of Kryptonite fragments is found during a black market bust, Tim takes the opportunity to experiment with it. After all, if Superman does ever go bad (or more likely, is forced to do bad) it would be nice not to have to wait for Batman or Wonder Woman to arrive in order to do something about it.

Tim doesn’t consider that it could be Conner that goes bad. He knows he should, but he’s not Batman. He can’t bring himself to plan out how to bring his best friend down. If the situation arises, he trusts that his training and experience will be enough to get him through it.

Technically, he knows anything that will bring Clark down will also work on Conner. Its just easier to think of it as _Clark_ he’d be up against. So that’s who he pictures when he considers how to use the new resource at his disposal.

First, Tim pulls up the breakdown he’d written up of Scarecrows fear gas aerosol system. He devises something similar, but smaller, easier to build into his Robin suit and makes a Kryptonite powder he can spray right into Clark’s face, should the need arise. He calls it Kryptosol. He hopes he never has to use it.

That done, it occurs to Tim that he really doesn’t want to have to beat Clark into submission. Ever. And even if the Kryptosol negates Clark’s super strength, knocking out a man his size is dangerous. Tim doesn’t want to do any long-term damage if he can help it. So he starts to think about containment.

He tries placing small pieces of Kryptonite into the links of a chain and then sliding a poly-vinyl tube over it before capping it off, essentially making a Kryptonite laced bicycle chain. Exposure to that amount of Kryptonite should decrease Clark’s strength enough that he can’t break the chain. It should work, but Tim’s certain he can do better.

He’d been working on some expanding foam pellets to stop some of the super strong Rogues. It takes an entire night, but he figures out how to make a Krytonite laced version that he can carry around without risk of accidental exposure. The last thing he wants is for Conner or Clark to get hurt because he mishandled his gear.

Tim makes some smoke bombs and a few other Krytonite versions of his usual arsenal. It all turns out well, better than he’d hoped even, but he knows he needs a failsafe.

His next idea isn’t one he ever thought he’d consider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason doesn’t know how Tim got his number, especially _this_ number, but he knows he shouldn’t be surprised when the kid contacts him on his secure line while he’s riding back from teaching a few drug dealers a lesson about selling to kids in his territory.

“What do you want, replacement?”

He knows it isn’t fair to blame Tim for, well, _anything_. But he can’t help it sometimes.

The newest Robin is inarguably the best, whether Bruce sees it or not. He’s a better detective than either of his predecessors (Bruce too, if Jason’s feeling honest). He’s just as good in a fight (his methods are different, tailored to his smaller size and lighter body, which is smart). He’s as focused at Batman himself, more focused than Dick or Jason ever were. The kid is even more skilled at keeping his identity a secret than any other vigilante Jason knows.

Just looking at Tim makes Jason think of all the things he did wrong as Robin and of all the things Bruce is _still_ doing wrong as Batman. Such as bringing _fucking children_ into this nightmare of a family ‘business’.

“Are you on your way home?”

“Why; you need somewhere to go?” Jason managed to keep his tone level even as his guard slipped enough to ask that question. For all that he’d watched Bruce before making his move on the Gotham underground, he still didn’t have a handle on his relationship with Tim. He did know that Bruce’s already questionable sanity had been slipping before the kid entered the picture. And that 'dispassionately neglectful' was the kindest way one could describe the Drakes method of parenting before their unfortunate run-in with the Obeah Man.

Still, Jason didn’t want to sound too concerned. The kid could just want to pester him about something else. Not that he'd ever done that. Maybe Dick convinced him they needed to bond or something. “B finally decide to put in a height chart for the cave?”

Tim doesn’t take the bait. Doesn’t get defensive or irritated. Doesn’t sign off. Jason’s not sure whether he should feel annoyed or impressed.

Instead, the boy continues with that focus Jason still isn’t sure he himself possesses.

“Do you have an ammunition casting machine?”

Of all the possibilities Jason had considered on why Tim would bother hacking his secure line, that question was not one of them. It catches him so off guard that he answers without any thought of insult or protecting his privacy. “Yeah, why?”

“May I use it? It’ll only take a moment.”

If the previous question was a surprise, that one was a complete shock. Jason knew the kid could likely intend to use it for something other than the obvious, he was aware the boy took his own cases sometimes (Jason couldn’t believe Bruce allowed that, especially after what happened to _him_ ). It could have been related to one, but he doubted Tim would have come to him then. He could have just explained whatever he was doing to Bruce and gotten his own casting machine.

Whatever the kid had planned, there was no way Jason was going to miss it. The knowledge that he knew something of this caliber that Bruce didn’t _alone_ would be worth any headache the kid might cause him. The fact that another member of the family could possibly be warming up to the idea of using guns was intriguing as well.

“Sure. I’ll meet you there in fifteen. You at the cave?”

“Yeah.” Tim sounded a little hesitant, Jason didn’t blame him.

“Bring some of Alfred’s cookies.”

He could have swore the kid was smiling. “Deal.”

Jason didn’t know how the kid got hold of some Kryptonite or how he managed to carve a bullet out of it, but he was impressed. And a little jealous. Not that he wanted to shoot Clark or Conner, but it was just making the gun enthusiast in him drool a little bit. _A Kryptonite bullet_. It was glorious.

...And completely out of left field. As far as Jason knew, Bruce’s big ‘Superman Emergency Contingency Plan’ consisted entirely of weakening him with proximity to a piece of Kryptonite he carried and then just beating him into submission. Unless Jason had missed something, that meant this was all Tim’s idea.

“How’s that look?” Tim handed over the finished product as if it were a science project he wanted his big brother to check out and not something as awesome as a glowing green and titanium bullet that could kill a virtually indestructible alien.

Jason found it hard to believe that Tim doubted his ability to cast a bullet, but he figured maybe the kid was a perfectionist and wanted the opinion of the only gun expert he could talk to about this.

Besides, it meant he got to hold and inspect the world’s first (probably only) Kryptonite Bullet.

“Looks good.” It was actually Jason’s preferred caliber and grain. Not that he expected Tim to know that. 

He handed it back and watched as Tim placed it in a small case he’d clearly built himself. It was some sort of alloy, Jason would bet it was light enough to carry on a utility belt but strong enough to protect the bullet from a freight train. It was lined with led and had a foam insert that kept the bullet in place. The latch had a tiny combination lock on it.

Once it was locked away, Tim tossed the case to Jason. He caught it on instinct.

“The combination is the date you made your first appearance as Robin.”

Jason blinked. “What?”

“The first night you came out as Robin. Don't you remember? You stopped that mugging and-”

“No, I know _that_.” He hadn’t known that Tim did. He was tempted to ask if Bruce had told him, but he knew it was likely Dick or Alfred.

“Not many others do. Even most of your friends wouldn’t know to try it.”

That was also true. It was smart thinking.

But it wasn’t what Jason was wondering about. “Why are you leaving it with me? You expect me to get to you if Superman goes bat-shit crazy on us? For that matter, do you even know that you’ll be able to pull the trigger when it comes down to it?”

Tim actually rolled his eyes. Jason kind of wanted to hit him, but he was really trying to avoid that after the last time. He didn’t want to get carried away again.

“I’m not leaving it with you for safekeeping,” Tim finally explained. “I’m leaving it with you as a failsafe. I have my own methods for trying to contain Superman if he goes rogue. So does Bruce. He probably won’t expect you to take him on at all, but if we fail, then I know you’ll do what you have to.”

Tim looked solemn, even sad at the thought. “Let’s just hope you never do.”

Jason didn’t know what to say. For all of Bruce’s contingency plans, he never would have trusted Jason with something like this. Even as a back-up plan. Even as a last resort. He never would have even considered it.

That knowledge hurt.

But the fact that Tim _did_ trust Jason that much, even after everything he’d done... That Tim had made sure to set the bullet to Jason’s preferred specifications (that he’d somehow taken note of) from the beginning, even going so far as to use Jason’s personalized equipment to cast it... That the kid had memorized the date of Jason’s debut as Robin... That maybe, somehow, despite all odds to the contrary, his little brother actually looked up to him...

It made some of the hurt in him, some old wound Jason had long learned to live with, start to heal.

In that moment, Jason knew Tim was right. He would do what he had to protect his city (or the world), even shoot Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. He knew something else though too. If it came down to that, he wasn’t waiting until Bruce and Tim had failed. He’d let them try it their way, but if it looked like the fight wasn’t going in their favor, he’d take the shot.

Because he’d do whatever he had to in order to protect his family too.

Even if he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with them for more than ten minutes without wanting to either shoot something or throw up.

Or most of them. He had to admit the newest addition to the family was starting to grow on him.

He nodded and put the case beside the new holsters he was working on. Now he’d be making further adjustments to his design. It was worth the extra work.

“Smart thinking, baby bird.” Jason cleared his throat. He indicated the tin of cookies Tim had brought along. “You know, Alfred would ream me if I ate those without having dinner first. You wanna head to Batburger?”

Tim stared for a brief moment. Then he blinked. Then he stared for another few seconds. He seemed to be thinking. Right when Jason was about to rescind the offer (and kick himself for even trying), his lips curved in the smallest of smiles. It was still the brightest Jason had seen from him. Granted, he usually didn’t have much reason to smile in Jason’s presence.

“I could eat.”

“Great. Let’s go.” Jason grabbed his civilian helmet. He motioned for Tim to do the same. “You can fill me in on your first plan for how to take on rogue Kryptonians.”

It wasn’t riding off into the sunset or anything. Jason was undoubtedly going to insult Tim again, inadvertently or defensively. Tim’s fledgling trust in him was likely going to be a bit strained at first. But it was a good start.

If nothing else, at least they’d end up with a few plans to divert disaster.


End file.
